Teri Horton is a mother, grandmother and retired truck driver who becomes the center of a heated debate after she buys what a local art teacher suggests may be a genuine Pollock.
She buys the painting for five dollars (a price she haggled down from eight dollars,)at a local thrift store. The painting is for a friend
that has been feeling down. If you were to only know this about Teri then you'd know enough. She is strong, blunt and kind-hearted.
That is exactly what director Harry Moses does, he captures her spirit as she becomes the center of a film about the art world. Teri is painted as a heroine, albeit a foul-mouthed, dumpster diving heroine. The art world (museum directors, art gallery owners, art lawyers,) become the shadow that looms, eager to crush those who would dare enter their realm.
Is Teri up to the challenge of facing off against such well-funded viciousness? Her journey, which unravels over a decade, is a fascinating one.
Will the painting be proven to be an original Jackson Pollack? Teri's quest to determine this reveals much about the art world and much more about the strength of a woman. A woman who refuses to be brushed aside, a woman who has worked hard for everything has with great pride.
What is art? Who is it for? Who determines its worth? These and many other questions are asked of us as we watch this quirky, intelligent, affectionate film.
April 28, 2010
Top Critic
